TopSpeed Daily Update |  |
- Noble releases picture of M600 Convertible, calls it a “styling exercise"
- Toyota PPI Trophey Truck 015
- Honda Activa
- Monster Truck Maniac 3
- Bowler EXR Rally Car by Land Rover
- INDYCAR Greenlights Changes to Lotus' Engine — Finally, Some Good News
- Yamaha YFM350R
- Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo named Europe's best manager
- Nissan GT-R by Vivid Racing
- BMW ActiveHybrid3
| Noble releases picture of M600 Convertible, calls it a “styling exercise" Posted: 25 Jun 2012 08:30 AM PDT
While speaking to ATFULLCHAT at the recent Pageant of Power event at Cholmondeley, Noble Automotive MD Peter Boutwood officially released the very first, and possibly the only picture ever, of a Noble M600 Convertible. After the M600 coupe's launch a couple of years back, we always felt that something was missing from Noble's range with a convertible being at the very top of our wish list. However, it's worth noting at this point that the following image is simply being pinned as "a factory styling exercise" with Boutwood claiming "there are definitely no plans at present to produce it." Nevertheless, it's still an interesting prospect being showcased by Noble and despite their claims that it's only a styling exercise, we have a slight inkling that if pre-existing Noble customers and possible new customers like the idea, and Noble Automotive can find the funds to produce such a car, the company will prepare an M600 Convertible in the coming years. With that being said, the following picture only seems to be a rendering of a convertible variant rather than an actual photograph taken of a one-off M600 convertible. As a result, we'll take Boutwood's statement to heart, but we'll still dream of a convertible M600 being produced some day, even if that means an out-of-house tuner has to perform the conversion. Do you think Noble should consider turning this "styling exercise" into a production ready car? Hit us up in the comments section below! Noble releases picture of M600 Convertible, calls it a “styling exercise" originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 25 June 2012 15:30 EST.
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| Posted: 25 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT
The Toyota PPI Trophy Trucks are often referred to as one of the most significant trucks in off-road history, and rightfully so. The partnership between Toyota and Precision Preparation Inc. (PPI) resulted in 27 wins and seven championships in the now-defunct Mickey Thompson Off-Road Stadium Series, and who can forget the fact that the best of the best in off-roading, Ivan "Ironman" Stewart, was a part of this team. The example we have today, the 1994 Toyota PPI Trophy Truck 015, was the final truck built under the Toyota/PPI partnership. To make this truck even more desirable, Ivan Stewart himself piloted it at the Baja 2000. This fine truck has just come off of a restoration and RK Motors Charlotte is giving you the opportunity to own this piece of off-road history. We are certain this freshly revamped off-roading legend is going to require a premium price. To find out more about this truck and its asking price, click past the jump. Toyota PPI Trophey Truck 015 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 25 June 2012 15:00 EST.
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| Posted: 25 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT
India is a country that has no shortage of scooters. So in market with plenty of choices, the Honda Activa stands out because it provides everything a rider wants in a scooter. The Activa can be called a ’comfort scooter’ because it has many features that offer us the comfortable riding we all yearn, including a tuff-up tube, storage space, seat arrangement, a CLIC mechanism, and a 109cc 4-stroke, single cylinder, air-cooled OHC engine. Aesthetically, the Activa offers plenty of interesting color options that riders can go nuts choosing from. There’s Wild Purple Metallic, Black, Candid Lucid Red, Force Silver Metallic, Pearl Sunbeam White, and Geny Grey Metallic. A combination of dashing good looks, superb handling, and all-around versatility has made the Activa one of the most popular scooters in India. Hardly surprising that for all of the choices, customers always seem to gravitate towards the Activa. And really, why shouldn’t they? Find out more about the Honda Activa after the jump. Honda Activa originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 25 June 2012 15:00 EST.
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| Posted: 25 Jun 2012 07:41 AM PDT | ||
| Bowler EXR Rally Car by Land Rover Posted: 25 Jun 2012 07:30 AM PDT
The agreement between Land Rover and Bowler is poised to become a collaboration made in rallying heaven and they’re putting their collective feet out to show their first project together, the Bowler EXR Rally Car. The prototype rally car will sport a 'Powered by Land Rover' branding and has been co-designed by Land Rover and Bowler to be the kind of rally car that will put all others to shame. Or so they say. The EXR uses a modified chassis of the Range Rover Sport and has been fitted with a 5.0-liter V8 engine that you can also find in a number of Range Rover models. The only caveat is that the EXR’s power train is FIA-restricted for racing purposes, which means that output is only limited to 300 horsepower and 428 lb/ft of torque. The EXR is also fitted with a six-speed manual transmission - and option of a Sadev 6-speed sequential transmission is also available - while also carrying Ricardo front, center, and rear differentials. The EXR rally car will be in attendance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed at the end of June were it will be showcased for the first time in full rallying gear. Bowler EXR Rally Car by Land Rover originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 25 June 2012 14:30 EST.
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| INDYCAR Greenlights Changes to Lotus' Engine — Finally, Some Good News Posted: 25 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT
Recently, we haven't had much good to say about Lotus and trust us, that is not by choice. We actually love Lotus and everything it once stood for in the performance car world. Unfortunately, it has undergone some serious changes and the CEO that it had decided to abandon what we all loved about Lotus. In addition to the woes that Lotus underwent on the retail car front, it also underwent similar struggles on the racing front. Due to funding issues, its engines fell drastically behind the competition and its newly-signed-up partners all abandoned ship. It's only two remaining partners ended up finishing dead last in May. Part of the problem was that due to funding issues, Lotus entered its revised engine plans for approval by INDYCAR too late and it was stuck running its original engines. Well, it looks like the downpour of bad news is starting to dry up for Lotus, as Lotus' INDYCAR manager, Oliver Picquenot, was quoted saying "Lotus has been working with outside engineering firms, in conjunction with Mr. John Judd and his enterprise." This obviously means that INDYCAR has finally given Lotus its much-needed permission to upgrade its engine via its engineering partner Engine Developments Ltd. This should give lotus the chance to at least close the INDYCAR-estimate 2.5 percent gap between its engines and everyone else's, and Lotus is saying that it expects huge improvements. So let's hope for the best here and see if Lotus can make some money off of racing, or at least garner a little interest via finishing better than dead last to help calm its rocky seas. Just an update, resigned Caterham Managing Director, Ansar Ali, is still a free agent and we already see a good fit between him and Lotus. So we'll continue to monitor that situation, as well as Lotus' INDYCAR improvements, as it tries to dig itself out of the hole a certain "someone" put them in… INDYCAR Greenlights Changes to Lotus' Engine — Finally, Some Good News originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 25 June 2012 14:00 EST.
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| Posted: 25 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT
A lot of ATVs promise you the world yet fail to live up to it. The Yamaha YFM350R isn’t one of them. As a full-size ATV that promises to bring you to the next level of off-road experience, the YFM350R isn’t about breaking its word. It comes powered by a 348 cc 4-stroke engine that’s mated to a six-speed gearbox, providing enough power and reliability to make your off-road trabels as smooth as smooth can be. In addition, the ATV also carries an up standard suspension set-up with dual rate springs that bring you the best of both worlds. The small bumps are of no hindrance as they are increasingly absorbed, while the bigger hits are controlled by second-stage springing. Over at the back, you'll find the rear shock, which limits the performance-reducing effects of heat build-up. Meanwhile, the lightweight aluminum wheels minimize unsprung weight, allowing the suspension set-up to handle its business. Just take this YFM350R into your daily life and you'll find the extraordinary riding experiences that enable you to feel the comfortable along with the fun situation. Find out more about the Yamaha YFM350R after the jump. Yamaha YFM350R originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 25 June 2012 14:00 EST.
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| Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo named Europe's best manager Posted: 25 Jun 2012 06:30 AM PDT
  Ferrari CEO, Luca di Montezemolo, has and always will be one of the most well-known CEO's in the automotive market due to the remarkable work he has done for the Italian firm in the past 20 years. As a result of this and numerous other factors, the European Business Press Foundation (EBP) recently named Montezemolo the "European Manager of the Year." The EBP is an association of some of Europe's largest and most influential financial publications and has direct affiliations with the Wall Street Journal Europe, Les Echos, Handelsblatt, and Milano Finanza, just to name a few. With the award being in existence since 1991, it's gained quite a following and receiving the illustrious award is definitely nothing to sneeze about. In order to take out the selection, the major editors of each publication associated with the European Business Press Foundation cast their respective votes and before long, Montezemolo came out on top. The major factor which helped determine Montezemolo's selection for the award was his aforementioned role as Chairman of Ferrari for the past 20 years, but his goal of improving the living standards of his workers was also praised during the ceremony. Maybe his intent on running for President of Italy isn’t as ridiculous as it originally sounded. Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo named Europe's best manager originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 25 June 2012 13:30 EST.
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| Posted: 25 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT
Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up with all the tuning programs being done on the 2013 Nissan GT-R. But other times, the hype is certainly warranted because you end up with an undoubted gem. US tuner Vivid Racing managed to build an aftermarket GT-R program that fits that bill. The aesthetic and aerodynamic modifications weren’t that extensive and are limited to a new Super Silver paint finish, a new set of 21" tinted brushed MHT Niche SPA 3-piece super concave wheels, and a KW Variant 3 Coil Spring Kit that gives the GT-R better handling and maneuverability. Where Vivid Racing nailed it is in the performance upgrade. Already sporting 542 horsepower under its hood, the US tuner worked on reprogramming Godzilla’s ECU unit while also adding a new Agency Power Titanium exhaust system and a specially customized titanium cutback. The result is a GT-R that produces as much as 605 horsepower, which if you’re not too sure about numbers, is right around the vicinity of some of the finest European exotics you can buy. It’s also 63 HP more than the standard 542 HP pushed out of the twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 engine. Nissan GT-R by Vivid Racing originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 25 June 2012 13:00 EST.
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| Posted: 25 Jun 2012 05:30 AM PDT
BMW’s plans to drop the X6 Active Hybrid from their lineup by no means belittles their intentions to move forward with a greener line. Following in the footsteps of the ActiveHybrid7 and ActiveHybrid5 will be a hybrid version for the next generation 3-Series We first caught site of the ActiveHybrid3 as a prototype running some laps around the Nürburgring and although there was nothing on the body of the vehicle that could distinguish it from a standard petrol model, this particular tester had the obligatory hybrid stickers on the side and rear. Hybrid stickers are a must during testing because if the car happened to get into an accident, the police and medical crew need to be aware of the dangers of electric power. The future ActiveHybrid3 is scheduled to launch one year after the standard 3-Series, which would be sometime in the autumn of 2012. UPDATE 06/25/2012: BMW has formally announced the European pricing for the ActiveHybrid 3. The base price for this all-new hybrid will begin at £40,225 ($62,700), which isn't too bad for what you're getting. For those looking for a little bit more sport, for an additional £3,000 ($4,680) you can get the M Sport package, which includes an M Sport suspension, 18-inch M-Star alloy wheels, extra body styling and unique M interior pieces. We are still completely in the dark on if and when the ActiveHybrid 3 will hit U.S. showrooms, so we also have no pricing to pass along. Considering the need to import these hybrids, we would anticipate a U.S. price of somewhere in the $70,000 range, depending on options. We'll keep you updated as more info becomes available. For now, hit the jump to read more on the BMW ActiveHybrid3. BMW ActiveHybrid3 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 25 June 2012 12:30 EST.
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